Firelight
by The Nevermore Raven
Summary: Sequel to Spicy. Fluff, having found himself a new little friend, attempts to bring the friend home. Will his sweetheart approve?


**Firelight**  
By: The Nevermore Raven 

The new fox I've met over four months ago proved himself as irresistibly cute to me. I've tried to, but I'm simply unable to keep from picking the little fox up and cradling him like a baby, all the while petting him incessantly and providing him few chances to speak because of my barrage of tickling and gentle kisses. That makes him blush profusely and that only makes him all the more cute and irresistible. In short, he's too cute for his own good! A cute little _vulpix_! I've really found myself fond of foxes, and this little one named Pepper is no exception.

Pepper was a fox I found endearing, but not attractive like the older foxes. It's safe to assume that was because of his age, and being so innocent. With _vulpix_, strength and age can be estimated by the number of tails on a given fox. At birth, vulpix have only one tail. When they approach adult-hood, they have six tails before becoming _ninetales_. When I first met him, Pepper had just five tails perched atop his rump.

When I met Amber, my other half, she had four tails and I was just a _riolu_. That was five years ago. Amber is my sweetheart. She simply hasn't been able to evolve, even though she believes-and her friends and I also believe-that she's old enough to evolve. But even now Amber hasn't evolved, in spite of having all six of her tails for over a year. Personally, I'll love her to pieces whether she evolves or not. In fact, a little part of me doesn't want her to evolve, although I would be reluctant to tell her so.

Last year I evolved into a _lucario_, my mature form. As a _Whitecloud_, I have no dangerous spike on my chest, a trademark of the tribe. I've not yet seen a _lucario _without spikes that isn't from the tribe. Lucario are rare to begin with.

How rare exactly is it to be a huggable lucario? Judging by other's reactions, it must be fairly uncommon at most. I quickly learned the hard way-innuendo intended- that we lucario are remarkably attractive to a variety of other pokemon, and without warning became victim to a slew of lucario fans that were simply unable to restrain themselves at the sight of an unusual hug-friendly male. They decided on the idea of chasing me with the goal of romantic interaction. To put it briefly they got their wishes, receiving much more than just hugs.

That happened twice thus far... all on the very year I evolved! Last summer, a group of _pikachu_ pounced me when I was stupid enough to get captured by a kind trainer who later released me. Again last fall, I had the caught the surprise attention from a sexy _ninetales!_

How was I to know all of this would happen? Why me? The answer was always the same. "You're very soft. You're so sweet. You're a handsome tall lucario that I can hug!" Amber herself told me that very same answer with a confident smirk. "Two words: giant teddybear."

**II**

It was soon afterwards, when I turned white for the cold season, when I met a wounded and frightened Pepper. I withstood abuse at his hand, and deemed it worth the chance of assisting said frightened fox. Upon finally getting him calm enough to carry him home, I realized that our little meeting would be much more than that single encounter. It heralded the start of a new friendship. I have a huge soft-spot for Pepper. I remember with clarity carrying the little fox all the way home during a storm of chilling sleet. He pierced my heart from the very first encounter.

Strangely, he attacked me when we first met, although I was trying to help him. Flames, ramming, and even biting abused me during the brief scuffle. Pepper vehemently rejected my offers of assistance and fled, so with a sorrowful sigh I headed for home alone.

I found out half an hour later that he followed me, so I surprised him with a big hug because the weather had gotten ? I know he just attacked me. He knew it, too. He even asked me why I didn't just spurn him or fight back when I discovered him tracking me. The inquiry placed me at a loss. My initially reluctant answer amounted to "You're too cute." Honestly, how could I stay mad at him? He was precious! He was so little! And all alone! And wounded! And scared! And shivering! And so cute!

The first night home proved interesting. I concluded that Amber would have a fit finding me with burned arms and bruising that evening. Pepper had fallen asleep in my embrace, so I held him close to shelter him form the wild wind and pelting beads of the ice storm. Knowing that I relieved his torment from the weather brought a smile to me during the entire hike home.

We finally approached camp, at the edge of the woods and flanked on either side by a grove of evergreens. The conifers shielded us from the worst of the winter's wind making it an ideal campsite. The scent of smoldering oak traced the air, guiding me up to the swaying, whipping branches of a stately white pine. Nestled at its grey, furrowed, columnar trunk beside a dark green cedar, a wisp of smoke drifted out the top of a teepee besides a dearly beloved little vulpix. Home at last!

My precious Rose leapt into the air at sighting me, urging me into the warmth of our cozy home. The weather seemed to agree with her, pushing us with harsh wind after the bouncing little fox. With a wave of my arm, I lowered the flap of hide over the door to keep the wind at bay and seated myself beside the warm yellow light of the fire. Amber, being keen as foxes are, noticed right away that something was up. The vixen started chiding me for a late return, and I lifted a hand to her mouth, silencing her. With her temper, when she finds the little fox I have in tow, she may kill me!

"I know, Rose. I'm definitely later getting home than planned, but I can explain that."

Amber's soft brown eyes glimmered in the fire, focusing on my burned arms. Her adorable face tensed, taking note of the damage. A spark flew from her eyes in perplexed doubt. Her fiery temper was about to go off, as predicted.

"Fluff! What just-"

"Shhh. Please be quiet. You have the right to be mad at me, arriving hours later than I planned to. I will explain that, too. But first, I need to put a little fox to bed. Look." I opened my arms, revealing the resting form of Pepper. Amber gasped in astonishment.

"Fluff... What are you doing with that fox?"

"I'll explain everything, Amber. You know I will. Trust me."

"You better start explaining quick!" Brown eyes narrowed in suspicion. Gulp...

"Amber, please keep your voice down. This fox is resting."

"After he burned you! No way will I let that fiend rest peacefully after he burned you!"

The tension suddenly set itself in motion as if on an obsessively-timed cue. How can I kill it? Amber's temper would wake up Pepper any moment! Without a second thought, I stooped down to kiss my sweetheart right above her nose, managing to stun her long enough to make an appeal. Please standby. Diffusing incendiary bomb in progress...

"Please, please trust me, Amber. I'm fine now."

"I do trust you, Fluff." Chocolate eyes softened at hearing my plea. Close call! Phew. I grinned back at her, and kneeled over to kiss her a second time. I placed the fox gingerly on a cushion of rolled up pelts two meters from the fire and covered him with another.

"I'm so glad to see you again, Rose."

"Aww, Fluff." Amber lay on her belly, tails perked in the air in a most dainty manner. Her ears and eyes gave me her full attention. There we basked in the warm fire, safe from the wind, wet, and bitter cold. Sleet patted on the hide of our humble abode, adding an ambience to the crackling fire that would lull a weary soul to sleep.

"Everything boils down to this fox. I had just turned around to head back home, and I heard the faintest cry in the distance. Curious, I approached the cry and encountered a lone vulpix pinned beneath a large branch that had fallen on his back foot. You know me more than anyone else, Amber. I tried to help him, but he was frightened by me."

Amber giggled at the thought. "Frightened? By you? A giant, walking white furball?"

I grinned at her comment. "He was wounded and alone, Amber. I can't blame him."

"Good point."

"This vulpix was so frightened that he burned me."

"Fluff!"

"Shhh... I'm alright. He only singed my dense fur. I'm more worried about him." Amber turned to observe the little fox that was only a hair smaller than her, and noticed right away his shivering.

"Amber, the fox sprained his ankle. We need to place it on ice to reduce the swelling. On second thought, let's use hot saltwater. I also need to wash my wounds."

"Got it." Amber bounced away to grab a pan that was nearly her size. The sight prompted an admission from my lips before I knew it."You're such a spunky little fox, Amber. I love you."

"Fluff..." My mate blushed, even though the flickering fire tried to conceal it with its shifting light and nearly succeeded. Reaching with a gentle hand, I picked the pan up from her teeth, to fill it with water. We exchanged a passionate gaze before briefly nuzzling.

"My precious Rose," I whispered into a pointed ear.

"Fluff..." The petite vixen blushed again. How can I ever show her how much she means to me? Little moments like this are the very least I can do. She adores the attention.

Our camp had a well next to its center, surrounded on the south, east, and west by numerous homes, like those of Fuzzy, Pants, and Lucy, my childhood friends and their parents, and the abode of my parents and brother, and the home next to the well is the home of Laurel, the tribe elder and very close tutor of mine. She taught me mastery of _Aura_, and numerous other things.

With water in mind, I had to leave the warmth of our humble abode to fill the copper object. The pot sagged in my arms with the additional heft of the water, and it sloshed about against the rim of the utensil as if desiring a swift escape to the ground underfoot. The well very rarely if ever froze over, thanks to its depth in the ground. I can't safely recall when that last happened, in fact. It's beyond me. A brief detour to the blustery, dicey wind outside ended with a welcome return to the warmth of the fire and a pair of petite foxes.

I hooked the pan over a stout branch we used for cooking, bracing it on two joints that jutted skyward on opposite sides of the fire pit. Amber heaped four or five scoops of salt into the water. Then we could only wait. Orange flames barely licked the bottom of the pan, so Amber and I enjoyed the crackling of the fire together. Our guest faintly trembled in his blankets, inspiring me to pick him up and move him a bit closer to the fire. One way or another, we ended up with the little vulpine at my left side, and Amber on my right, facing the warm flames.

I dabbed my finger gingerly in the water, testing it. It had started to warm up, so I proceeded to sink my arms into the mixture, rinsing them free of ash and blood, then gently massaged the bite Pepper had given to me earlier. A rinse in the hot water cleaned my burns of the ashes, leaving in its wake what appeared to be a rough patch of short, white fur on my forearms. I wiped them on a nearby cloth and raised them to the fire to dry, taking care to brush them meanwhile. They would dry in a matter of minutes. The water needed to get hotter to serve its second use, so another minute passed.

"Let's get his leg in the water, now."

Pepper ended up propped with his head in my lap, with his foot immersed in the still heating water. The new sensation of heat caused him to awaken. Heart-melting, large discs of chocolate shined golden highlights in the firelight, focusing on me as I held him in place.

"Shhh... You're home. We're safe. Hold still and get some rest. I'm soaking your foot in hot water to soothe the muscles. You just relax, now."

"Hi, Pepper. You owe an apology to Fluff for burning him like you did." Amber started her instructing like she would now and then. I gently interjected to address the agitated little fox that I love so dearly.

"Amber, that's alright. I forgave him hours ago, and he's now our guest. Let's get some needed rest."

"Fluff?" To hear that voice again! I've grown really fond of this little fox in my lap. Amber may become a bit jealous. I need to watch it to avoid making her angry and discuss it with her soon, without Pepper around.

"Yes, Pepper."

"Thank you for carrying me. And thank you for a place to spend the night. And thank you for keeping me warm. And thank you for..."

Aww... My heart lifted at hearing such gratitude. Pepper might have gone on and on, so I placed a finger on his little lips, right beneath that cute little nose of his. "You have thanked me quite enough, my little friend." I removed his paw from the pan several minutes later and dabbed it dry. I needed to examine the damage to Pepper's foot more closely. Warning him would be a good idea. The thought caused me to grit my teeth in dismay.

"Pepper, how does your foot feel? May I look at it?"

"It does hurt some, but I feel better since you got me warm again. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, puppy. May I feel it? Gently, I mean? I can heal you better if I know what's broken."

The fox's hesitation failed to surprise me. But I have his best interests at heart.

"...Okay, Fluff."

"Please hold still, Pepper."

I placed a pair of paws on the swollen ankle to squeeze it gently, from the arch of his foot down to the toes, a little way at a time.

"Tell me when it stings the most, Pepper."

The fox frowned at my command, but he complied. I softly kneaded the limb in my fingers, descending along its length before feeling the paw again. Nothing at his ankle. Farther along at the joint of his adorable paw, I noticed the fox grit his teeth. I passed the injury to make sure it was the only one. My checking of the wound revealed itself as an isolated occurrence.

"I'll need you to hold still for a minute or two. This may hurt a little bit."

I prepared myself to perform an _Aura_ _mend_ on the offense. Healing through _Aura_ is an ability that several members of the tribe have, and I would be one of them. Curiously, captured lucario for one reason or another never do learn this ability. Closing my eyes and searching with _Aura_ revealed an area of stress around the focus of the wound. The wound is rather minor, I realized. It would take a minute at most to heal properly.

"Please hold still, Pepper."

"I will."

A glow of neon blue illuminated the paw, casting bluish light on my face and making the brown of the site appear an off shade of green. The fox grimaced meanwhile, but the healing would save him from days of pain later on. Hold on, little guy. We're nearly through.

"You're doing well. I'm almost done. Just another minute."

"...All done."

"Huh? Already?" The fox studied the site of injury with suspicion. With initial reluctance, he stood upright without difficulty. His eyes lit up instantly, and he pounced me without warning, I presume in order to thank me. The pounce into my lap startled me but I reacted with a hug.

"Wow! Soo cool! Thank you, Fluff!"

Giving the little fox a hug, I eyed Amber to assess her mood towards the new guest. Although she appeared rather reluctant at first, I expect she'll warm up to Pepper.

"Thank you, Fluff and Amber. Thank you soo much. Good night."

"Wait a minute, puppy. We haven't had supper yet. You just relax. Amber and I will get things going." At one supporting pole by the edge of the teepee, numerous bags filled with portions sat in a dejected and forgotten manner. I removed the pan from over the fire to pour the water outside. As I did so, I heard voices from inside. Amber and Pepper must have started talking to each other. I do hope that they will get along.

Amber is invaluable to me, but Pepper has nowhere else to go. From what I understand, the best choice by far would be for the three of us to live together. Even so, if Amber is strongly opposed, I may be able to transfer him to a neighbor. My heart sank. No... that would be rude. I may have to make a tent for him alone. But I don''t want to. I want to stay with the fox, at least for now. I'm all that he has. He has no ties to the families here, none. No ties to our neighboring tribes, either. The more I think about this, the more obvious it is to me that we best let him stay with us.

As I returned to the entrance, I picked a word or two out of the air.

"Fluff really loves you..."

"He loves me!? How do you know?"

"... saved you... carried you for... how he treated you..."

The dubious dialogue posed a challenge. Who was saying what to whom? Either Pepper could have said this to Amber, or Amber could have said this to Pepper! That would change the attitudes they have to one another. The uncertainty set me on edge. I do like Pepper, and that may spark jealousy, however irrational it may turn out to be. Then our arrangement of a dwelling for three would perish.

"I know he loves you far..."

"How come?"

"The entire way home...talked about who he knew, like... and... but... spoke of you... most... How he's known you for years... and how I remind him of you. He calls you his darling and... several times."

Amber gasped. "What? He did?"

"Oh, yeah! And the way he watches you... adorable! His heart's soft. He was very gentle to me, true. But he positively worships you. So lucky!"

"Aww..."

Maybe that will give the two foxes a more pleasant start than what had unfolded beforehand. I sure hope so.

A modest but much-welcomed meal of hot cornmeal and boiled red beans filled Amber and I to our satisfaction, and even then Pepper continued eating. Watching him do so caused me to laugh. The fox alone ate as much as Amber and I ate together!

The fox sighed in contentment and glanced around at his new home as a stray paw absentmindedly rubbed his slightly bulging belly. The sight made me chuckle. A following thought prompted me to tease him a little bit.

"You weren't hungry tonight, were you Pepper?" I was being sarcastic, and that caused Amber to burst out laughing as Pepper paused in puzzlement. I simply wrapped Amber in an arm and pulled her towards me in affection, to cuddle with her. I love hugs. Part of being a _Whitecloud,_ and a part of who I am. The pair of us waited as Pepper wobbled to his feet, making us laugh again. "Good to see you're happy, Pepper."

Then something unexpected happened. Upon finishing his meal, Pepper approached my fox and nuzzled Amber in gratitude, startling her and causing me to laugh again. Three pokemon piled together on top of folded hides and went out like lights in the night. The constant heat of the dying ashes and red embers, the scent of burned oak, and the warmth of two fluffy little foxes lulled me to sleep. Home sweet home...

_The End_


End file.
